Nobunaga Concerto
Date: October 2014
Station: Fuji TV
Scriptwriter: Nishida Masafumi (Jikken Keiji Totori Series, Kaibutsu-kun, Yokai Ningen Bemu)
Original Work: Nobunaga Concerto by Ishii Ayumi
Genre: Sci-fi
Cast: Oguri Shun
Synopsis: Oda Nobunaga is Saburo (Oguri Shun), an ordinary high school student who travels back in time to the Sengoku era. The young samurai of the Oda family which is merely a minor feudal lord, set out towards the extraordinary dream of unifying the whole country through the power of Saburo. Saburo, a person from modern times who has no experience killing people, does not understand the willingness of the warlords of the Sengoku era to lay down their lives for their family. It is the same for the vassals too. They have had a hard time understanding Nobunaga’s actions ever since Saburo too over. Despite this “generation gap across space and time”, they are soon on the brink of achieving their dream … …
Website: www.fujitv.co.jp/nobunaga-concerto-drama
Sayonara Watashi
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Tuesdays, 14 October 2014
Station: NHK
Scriptwriter: Okada Yoshikazu (Saigo kara Nibanme no Koi Series, Watashi to iu Unmei ni Tsuite, Starman, Kono Hoshi no Koi)
Cast: Nagasaku Hiromi, Ishida Yuriko, Sato Hitomi, Tanimura Mitsuki, Lily, Omi Toshinori, Fujiki Naohito
Synopsis: In the autumn of their first year in high school, some incident spurred Tomomi (Nagasaku Hiromi) and Kaoru (Ishida Yuriko) to promise to be friends forever. However, at their present age of 41, the two of them have gone through different lives. Tomomi has built a happy family that everyone envies while Kaoru lives for her career as a movie producer. The differences in their lifestyles have created a distance between them. The two friends meet again for the first time at a class reunion after 20-something years and return to their former closeness. However, Tomomi has one suspicion. Kaoru knows too much about her own family. Is her husband (Fujiki Naohito) and good friend having an affair? When Tomomi gets to the bottom of the matter, an inconceivable fate awaits her and Kaoru. The two of them are at the mercy of a harsh destiny, and before long, they learn what is hidden in each other’s hearts … …
Website: -
Time Spiral
Date: From 11.15 p.m., Tuesdays, 2 September 2014
Station: NHK BS Premium
Scriptwriter: Fujii Kiyomi (Take Five, Kuro no Onna Kyoushi)
Original Work: Tokeru Rasen by Mizumori Eren
Genre: Sci-fi love mystery
Cast: Kuroki Meisa, Gackt, Hiraoka Yuta, Taketomi Seika, Akimoto Naomi, Kishimoto Kayoko
Synopsis: Aizawa Natsuki (Kuroki Meisa) suffered trauma because she was kidnapped when young, but she grew up with the support of her childhood friend Yuki Kentaro (Hiraoka Yuta) and now does physics research at a university. One day, she meets a newly-appointed professor Tatsumi Shuya (Gackt) who has come to the university. From then on, strange things keep happening around Natsuki. And it is no wonder. Shuya is in fact a time traveller who comes and goes between the future and the past. He attempts to hamper Natsuki and Kentaro’s friendship, and entices Natsuki romantically. Natsuki is gradually at his mercy. Before long, the heartrending “predestined relationship” between Natsuki and Shuya, which crosses space and time, is revealed.
Website: www.nhk.or.jp/drama/timespiral
Kyou wa Kaisha Yasumimasu
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Wednesdays, October 2014
Station: NTV
Scriptwriter: -
Original Work: Kyouwa Kaisha Yasumimasu by Fujimura Mari
Genre: Romance
Cast: Ayase Haruka
Synopsis: Aoishi Hanae (Ayase Haruka) is a plain office lady who has had no experience in love and no boyfriend. On her 30th birthday, she happens to end up drinking with Tanokura Yuto, a cool university student nine years her junior who is also a part-timer at her company. They spend the night together and she has her first experience. Even when they go on to date, it is a daily process of trial and error because everything is a first for Hanae, including an amusement park date, a sleepover or a couple’s trip. To complicate matters, she also gets a proposal from another man who is popular with women, the CEO of a trading company, and a love triangle develops.
Website: -
Mozu Season 2 ~ Maboroshi no Tsubasa
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Thursdays, October 2014
Station: TBS
Scriptwriter: Nishi Kosuke (Galileo Season 2, Kagi no Kakatta Heya)
Original Work: Mozu no Sakebu Yoru & Maboroshi no Tsubasa by Osaka Go
Cast: Nishijima Hidetoshi, Maki Yoko, Kagawa Teruyuki, Ito Atsushi, Ikematsu Sosuke, Hasegawa Hiroki, Ishida Yuriko, Kohinata Fumiyo, Aoi Yu, Sano Shiro
Synopsis: Kuraki Naotake (Nishijima Hidetoshi) is the Public Security Division’s ace who lost his beloved wife Chihiro (Ishida Yuriko) in a bombing incident, Osugi Ryota (Kagawa Teruyuki) is the honest to a fault detective who worked his way up the ranks, and Akeboshi Miki (Maki Yoko) is the Public Security officer who holds the key to solve the case. This time, a cross-border conspiracy gets in the way of Kuraki, Osugi and Miki as they challenge more evil. While they fight against an international terrorist organisation, a shocking truth hidden behind peaceful society soon emerges.
Website: www.tbs.co.jp/mozu_tbs
Related: Mozu Season 1 ~ Mozu no Sakebu Yoru
Preview: Mozu Season 2 ~ Maboroshi no Tsubasa CM
Borderline
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Saturdays, 4 October 2014
Station: NHK
Scriptwriter: Uda Manabu (Tokyo Airport, Lucky Seven), Kajimoto Emi (Otokomae 2)
Cast: Koike Teppei, Kakei Toshio, Yamaguchi Makiya, Tokui Yu, Mori Kanna, Maro Akaji, Fujiwara Norika, Hashizume Isao
Synopsis: Firefighters are always at the borderline. The boundary of the gaping abyss of death close to daily life. They get caught between the words of gratitude and angry rebuke of people. The lives of rescuers and their buddies are in the balance.
Website: -
Tamagawa Kuyakusho of The Dead*NEW*
Date: From 12.12 a.m., Saturdays, October 2014
Station: TV Tokyo
Original Work: Tamagawa Kuyakusho of The Dead by Nagana Yoichi and Toi Ao
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Hayashi Kento
Synopsis: 16 years ago, there was an occurrence of zombies in western Mexico. They rapidly spread around the world through the transmission of a virus. The world was thrown into panic with the appearance of the first zombies, but because their movements were slow and they were also feeble, zombies were not commonly perceived to be such a threat and their existence became an everyday affair. In Tamagawa ward in Japan, there is a special welfare division where all the defective staff members from other divisions have been transferred. The primary responsibilities of this division are to manage and capture special insurance subjects (residents carrying the zombie virus or zombified residents). Akaba Shinsuke (Hayashi Kento) is one such staff member, but he is in no way motivated. In his 25 years, he has had no one to call girlfriend and leads an uninspiring life. However, one day, a girl with the looks of an idol and skills of a martial artist is assigned as a rookie … …
Website: www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/official/tamagawa
Gugu datte Neko de Aru
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Saturdays, 18 October 2014
Station: WOWOW
Scriptwriter: Takada Ryo
Original Work: Gugu datte Neko de Aru by Oshima Yumiko
Cast: Miyazawa Rie, Kuroki Haru, Nagatsuka Keishi, Nakaoka Souichi, Ichikawa Miwako, Kikuchi Rinko, Iwamatsu Ryo, Tanaka Min
Synopsis: Kojima Asako (Miyazawa Rie) is a writer of popular manga for teenage girls. While she is facing a looming deadline, Saba, the beloved cat she has lived with for years suddenly dies. Asako is no longer able to draw manga after that and also loses her appetite. At the suggestion of her worried editor Omori (Nagatsuka Keishi), she moves to a new house but her life does not return to what it used to be. One day, when Asako is walking in a park, she comes across a homeless person (Tanaka Min) with a sick kitten. She starts wanting to cure the kitten of its illness and brings it to the hospital without permission … …
Website: www.wowow.co.jp/dramaw/gou-gou
Heisei Saru Kani Kassenzu
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Saturdays, Fall 2014
Station: WOWOW
Scriptwriter: Habara Daisuke (Castella, Double Face, Beautiful Rain)
Original Work: Heisei Saru Kani Kassenzu by Yoshida Shuichi
Cast: Suzuki Kyoka, Kora Kengo
Synopsis: A hit-and-run case occurs at Kabukicho in Tokyo. Hamamoto Junpei (Kora Kengo), a bartender who witnessed the incident, realises that the man who was arrested is a different person from the man who was at the scene. It seems that the real culprit is international cello player Minato Keiji and his older brother is taking the rap. Aiming to get rich quick, Junpei and Tomoki, the host he treats as a younger brother, decide to blackmail Minato. But Minato’s manager Yuko (Suzuki Kyoka) stands in their way. Overwhelmed by her presence, Junpei readily admits defeat. On the other hand, Yuko takes interest in Junpei’s character. Junpei is someone impossible to hate and loved by everyone. Soon, a huge evil which is Yuko’s longtime enemy shows up. Because of this unintended meeting of two people who live in different worlds, those around them get involved: Minato; Mizuki, the hostess who has come to Tokyo in pursuit of Tomoki; Miki, the proprietress of the Korean club where Junpei works; Kosaka, Miki’s boyfriend and former gangster; and Tomoka, Minato’s niece who is a university arts student. An uproar that will shake up Japan begins.
Website: www.wowow.co.jp/dramaw/sarukani
Gomenne Seishun
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Sundays, October 2014
Station: TBS
Scriptwriter: Kudo Kankuro (Amachan, 11nin mo Iru, Unubore Keiji)
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Nishikido Ryo, Mitsushima Hikari
Synopsis: 31-year-old Hara Heisuke (Nishikido Ryo) is a teacher at a high school in Shizuoka. He is like most people rather than an exceptional person. But an unfortunate accident which occurred 14 years ago ended up messing up his life. Feeling responsible, he stuck to his hometown and alma mater from then on. Meanwhile, it is decided that the boys school where he works will be merged with a girls school in the same area because of a decline in student numbers next year. Furthermore, a joint cultural festival is to be held as a “trial event” for the merger. Heisuke dedicates himself towards the aim of making the cultural festival a success and overcomes the big fuss that occurs. His hard work finally bears fruit with the great success of the joint cultural festival.
Website: www.tbs.co.jp/gomenne_tbs
Yuube no Curry, Ashita no Pan
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Sundays, October 2014
Station: NHK BS Premium
Original Work: Yuube no Curry, Ashita no Pan by Kizara Izumi
Cast: -
Synopsis: Seven years ago, Kazuki died at the young age of 25, leaving behind his wife Tetsuko and father Gifu. They live together and are a family, but theirs is a delicate relationship of daughter-in-law and father-in-law with no blood ties. Through the intriguing people Tetsuko comes into contact with who were linked by fate to her kindhearted husband, she is freed from the pain of the loss of a loved one and begins to start life again.
Website: -
Kabuka Bouraku
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Sundays, 19 October 2014
Station: WOWOW
Scriptwriter: Yoshimoto Masahiro (Team, Naze Kimi wa Zetsubou to Tatakaeta no ka, Koukousei Restaurant)
Original Work: Kabuka Bouraku by Ikeido Jun
Cast: Oda Yuji, Takashima Masanobu, Seto Koji, Kawashima Umika, Hirayama Hiroyuki, Ryu Raita, Tsuruta Mayu, Itao Itsuji, Ishiguro Ken, Ishibashi Ryo
Synopsis: At the meeting room of mega bank Shiromizu Bank, there is a heated discussion regarding additional financing for Ippudo, a giant supermarket which is in the throes of corporate restructuring. Bando Hiroshi (Oda Yuji), the credit officer in charge of Ippudo, believes “the important point of a loan is collection” and raises an objection to a loan for Ippudo which has not made efforts to restructure. On the other hand, Ninohe Tetsuya (Takashima Masanobu), the deputy director of planning who fears the aftermath of bankruptcies will extend to the bank, advocates decisive action on loans. Ninohe finds Bando disagreeable and plots to set him up. Meanwhile, a bomb explosion occurs at an Ippudo outlet. The message claiming responsibility for the attack demands the resignation of Ippudo’s autocratic chairman Kazama Kozo (Ryu Raita) and the company’s liquidation. Furthermore, Ippudo receives a threat promising to keep up with the bombings if it does not agree to the demands. Ippudo is apprehensive that its share price will slump and tries to conceal the message. However, Bando, who received a report, is vehemently opposed to this. He thinks that they should make this public in order to prevent the damage from spreading. At the same moment, Yaen Hiromitsu (Itao Itsuji), a detective of the First Investigative Division, starts to regard a youth (Seto Koji) near the scene of the bomb explosion with suspicion … …
Website: www.wowow.co.jp/dramaw/kabuka
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